The British Defense Minister said that it was too early to confirm the involvement of a foreign country in the arrest of five men on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act at a military air base belonging to the British Royal Air Force.
Wes Streeting indicated that investigations are continuing into the case, which witnessed the monitoring of three trucks heading at night towards the base located in southern England, a base that the US Air Force used to launch attacks on Iran. While Tehran denied any involvement in the matter.
British police decided to release five men on bail after being questioned on Monday on suspicion of committing crimes related to explosives and terrorism.
Police arrested them in the early hours of Sunday morning after receiving a report that three large white trucks were seen heading to the Royal Air Force's Fairford base in western England.
It was reported that the five detainees were British, in their twenties, and residents of London.
The police explained that three of these men reside in the Westminster area, one in Camden, and another in Willesden, and their ages range between 23 and 25 years.
They were initially arrested on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act, and then arrested again on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
Anti-terrorism police stated that they are still under investigation, and that their release is “conditional on strict controls related to their movements and communication with others.”
Assistant Police Commissioner Rance Taylor, who is also the head of counter-terrorism police, said officers were investigating “multiple paths*, including whether there were those involved working on behalf of a foreign state, or individuals working for it, whether they knew it or not.”
The bomb disposal team examined a number of vehicles near the RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire, while dozens of homes in the surrounding area were evacuated.
Here's a summary of what we know so far.
Where is RAF Fairford located?
RAF Fairford is located in the Cotswolds, about four miles (6.4 km) south of the town of Fairford on the River Colne.
The base has a long historical relationship with the US military, and US warplanes have recently used it as a launching pad for strikes on Iran.
What happened?
Gloucestershire Police said they received a report of “three suspicious vehicles” heading towards RAF Fairford, at 00:45 BST on Sunday.
Its officers later arrested five men near Welford, a village located about two miles (3.2 kilometers) southeast of the base.
The police said that an explosive disposal team was also sent to the village to examine a number of vehicles, around which a 400-meter (1,312-foot) security cordon was imposed.
Aerial photos showed a remote-controlled robot approaching two white pickup trucks parked in a wooded area, but police did not confirm its use.
Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation into the incident. The BBC learned that the operation was not based on intelligence information.
The US military said it was "working closely" with its British counterparts "to monitor this situation, mitigate its repercussions, and ensure the safety of US personnel, their families, and the local community."
The area has witnessed a heavy deployment of emergency teams since the early hours of Sunday, and Gloucestershire Police Chief, Maggie Blyth, said that this will continue during the next few days.
Blythe stated, in a press conference on Sunday evening, that the police will continue to assist counter-terrorism police and coordinate with other partners at the national level.
She added that she would leave it to the anti-terrorism police to make any decision to declare the incident a “terrorist incident.”
Who are the suspects?
Five men were initially detained on suspicion of offenses under the Explosives Act.
They were then re-arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
The names of the men who remain in detention have not been revealed, and the police have not announced their whereabouts.
Suspects arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 can be detained for up to 14 days without being charged, compared to a maximum of 24 hours in ordinary cases of detention without a request for an extension of detention.
Asked if police were looking for other people in connection with the incident, Blythe said she believed the matter was "under control."
US President Donald Trump said that those arrested were "trying to cause serious harm," adding: "We have been monitoring them for a long time, and we have arrested them."
BBC Your Voice has received a photo said to show the moment five men were arrested.
The photo showed men being detained at Welford, about 350 meters (1,148 feet) from the runway entrance at emergency gate 6A at RAF Fairford.
The BBC was unable to verify the original source of the photo, but the BBC Fact-Finding team located it geographically and confirmed that it appears to be authentic.
How many homes were evacuated?
Gloucestershire Police said evacuated residents were told they would not be able to return to their homes on Sunday night.
Cotswold District Council will provide accommodation for those affected who cannot stay with family and friends, according to the council's deputy chief executive, David Stanley.
85 families were evacuated following the incident, and their members were urged to take refuge in a nearby entertainment centre.
A number of people told the BBC that the police woke them up in the early hours of Sunday and ordered them to leave.
One of the residents, who identified herself as Jo, said: “We had no choice but to quickly get dressed and come. We didn’t know anything.”
Another resident, Jason, said: “Everything happened so fast. We packed our things and came here.”
A number of people in the leisure center were still wearing their pajamas, according to a BBC correspondent present there.
What did the eyewitnesses say?
A farmer, who had called the emergency services to report the three white trucks in the village of Wilford*, located directly east of the base, told the BBC that her spotting of these vehicles came by pure coincidence.
The woman, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated that upon her return home, she found the car entrance and road closed, and she saw “a large group of masked men with their heads covered.”
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'When they saw me, they ran away in front of me; Some of them headed towards the field and others towards the neighboring village of 'Kempsford'. "That's when I realized that something very unusual was going on."
She indicated that she contacted the Ministry of Defense police at the Royal Air Force’s Fairford* air base, but did not receive any response, before she called the emergency number (999) at 01:36 British summer time, saying: “Within 10 minutes, the village was crowded with armed police.”
She added: "I believe that my calling the emergency number foiled the plans they intended to implement."
The Ministry of Defense declined to comment.
Another resident described the moment he said he saw police arrest the suspects.
Jeff told the BBC that he heard “shouting outside his front door*, but was not sure where it was coming from.
He added that he then looked out his window and saw “individuals being detained by the police outside.”
What did the British government say?
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the incident was "deeply worrying" and that the government would "always take every step necessary" to protect people.
His Defense Minister, Wes Streeting, declined to comment on an ongoing operation, but said he had contacted his American counterpart, Pete Hegseth.
In response to a question during an event on the sidelines of the Labor Party conference in Liverpool whether there was any Iranian involvement, he said: “It is far too early to comment or speculate, and it would be irresponsible for me to do so.”
What are the uses of RAF Fairford Base?
The US Air Force has used RAF Fairford as a forward operating location for decades.
US Air Force B-52* bombers also took off from Fairford to launch raids on Iraq in 2003.
Its most recent use was on March 1, following the decision of former British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to allow the United States to use British bases, including Fairford, to launch “defensive” strikes targeting Iranian capabilities.
The conflict erupted across the Middle East after the United States and Israel launched large-scale strikes on Iran on February 28.
Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and Gulf states allied with the United States.
How did the United States respond?
Late Monday evening, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on a television program that it was clear that “a foreign party* was involved in the events that occurred over the weekend.
Without providing evidence or going into further details, Rubio told Fox News' Hannity: “What happened, what almost happened, and what could have happened in the United Kingdom over the weekend represents a very serious situation.” This is a situation in which the fingerprints of a foreign party are evident.”
Earlier, while speaking from the Oval Office, US President Donald Trump said that he would not have allowed the five men who were arrested to be released on bail, and that he was "surprised* by their release."
